Redemption in Ice
by Tyanilth
Summary: In the frozen northern city of Halas, it appears that not all is as it seems with one young barbarian girl. And the guild masters are getting worried...


Beginnings in Ice

_**This was something I've just found again when turfing a load of old files out of a defunct laptop (I have this habit of killing off laptop LCDs. The fact my current one has survived with me for over a year is a miracle in itself). It was based around one of my characters in the first MMORPG I ever played - Everquest - and was written over five years ago. Not even sure why I'm putting it up now, except that anyone who remembers the Halas newbie quests in Everquest might get a nostalgic smile. I did indeed go to all the trouble of maxing out the Halas factions on this dark elf enchanter simply for the pleasure of sitting on the Halas docks fishing, and having every barbarian player who saw her send a PM saying versions of "Holy ****, how did you get in here?" :) Happy days.**_

There was a lot of debate around the taverns of Halas when the young barbarian girl first started to be noticed around the town.

"I tell ye, she's no' one of mine!" Jinkus Felligan punctuated the statement with a wave of the ale mug. "We've nae had a shaman apprentice by that name in years. Tirika? Tiriki? Nearest I ever saw was that young lass Tirana, and she was a redhead. This lass is dark haired."

"Lysbith says she isna' a warrior either. Though Lys also said she'd happily take her and train her if that had been her path. The child's accounted for more of the goblin whelps than half the Wolves of the North together. Not to mention Blackburrow gnolls. Lys says if any more necklaces or teeth come in we'll have to start trading them with Erudin and Qeynos, the storehouses are running out of room." Margyn McCann had come to join the conversation. A young shaman apprentice immediately made another jug of ale appear on the table before beating a hasty retreat. The older woman eyed his disappearing back before taking a long draught. "Well, that lad will go far, anyway. But the lass? Tiriki? Nay, she's no shaman. And she's not from Halas either. I know every girl child born in this town in twenty years, and she's not one of them."

Jinkus nodded slowly. "Then it's as we thought. She's either the child of one of the outlier villages - but if she is it's the first time they've ever not told us they're sending one for training, or else..."

The unspoken "or else" hung heavily silent over the table. A spy. An imposter. An enchanter. A Teir'Dal - because no other coming to Halas would have need to hide their identity in such a manner.

There was a movement in the shadows and suddenly the girl herself was there. Or maybe had been there all the time. She was moving silently towards the door - and very nearly succeeded, but the stocky figure of Cappy McTarnigal was barring her way - the rogue guildmaster could move as fast and as silently as a cat when the need arose. The girl glanced around herself as if assessing further exits, as Cappi took her arm - not unkindly, but firmly, and walked her over to the table where the others sat.

Margyn studied the young barbarian face. "Very well, child. Don't even think of lying to us. Not now. You have my count of five to drop the illusions you're wearing. If you don't, they'll be stripped from you, and it will go very hard with you. Your one chance now is honesty."

A shimmer. A moment of uncertainty - and a young barbarian face became that of a Dark Elf, indigo skinned, the hair silver white, the eyes crimson. Cappi grasped the arm tighter, a grim expression on his face - the feuds of the Rogues of the White Rose and the Ebon Mask were the stuff of legend. Cappi had every reason to hate all Teir'Dal, and no reason whatsoever to exempt this girl from the hatred.

Margyn's face had also grown grim, but it was Jinkus who spoke first. "Very well. No more lies. Who are you, and why are you here?"

The girl's narrow face was set in an expression that the guildmasters recognised all too well, though it was strange to see it on the face of an enemy. Pride, stubbornness, a determination to endure whatever retribution was to be unleashed on her without giving the others the satisfaction of her tears or her cries. Barbarian virtues even. But this was not a barbarian. Impossible to guess her age to within ten years, but the face still possessed an odd innocence at variance with her race and training, enough to suggest that even for her own people, she was young. Not a pretty face - too narrow and asymmetrical for any form of beauty, but a face with character.

She spoke at last, the Barbarian tongue fluent and flawless, but with the pretence gone a clear accent to the speech. "My name is Tiriki, as I have told you. I have been surnamed Y'Gellth - that would be Dreamdancer in your tongue. I am an enchantress of House Spurned."

Jinkus raised an eyebrow at this. "House Spurned? An odd name."

She gave a half smile. "Eons ago, Lord Innoruuk chose to turn his face away from a portion of his creation, or perhaps they chose to turn their faces from him. Either way, we worship no god, because we have found none worthy of our worship. Teir'Dal despise us, the rest of the world hate us, thus we are the Spurned."

Lysbeth McNaff had entered the tavern quietly, a few minutes before. She eyed the girl with a grim smile. "Well, lass, Spurned or no, ye'd better start thinking of one good reason why we shouldnae throw your carcase to the sled dogs and rid Halas of a spy..."

It was clear from Cappi's face that Lysbeth's suggestion was more than welcome. As the Warrior guildmistress came to join the others at the table he pushed the dark elven girl down into a chair and eyed the others. "So do we just cut her throat now? Or do the rest of ye want to hear the remainder of her story first?"

Margyn gave a half smile. "Direct as ever, Cappi. But nay, I think the full Council of Halas need to agree on this one. Jinkus and I are here for the Shamans of Justice, Lysbeth can speak for the Wolves of the North since Dargon's away, you are the voice for the White Rose. But we ought to have a representative for the Merchants, and one of the BeastMasters." She glanced around the tavern until her eye lit upon the young shaman who had brought her the ale earlier. "Kirrin, can ye go and ask Cindl if she would be kind enough to step in here a minute? And send a runner for Field Priest Keven?"

The young shaman nodded and slipped out the door. A few minutes later, Cindl from the tailor's shop up near the Warrior guild caame in the door, glancing with interest at the Teir'Dal. Hoyce McTaegan soon followed, his lupine warder at his heels. "Keven canna be here, there's been an incursion from Permafrost and he's taken some apprentices down there, so I speak for the Beastlords." He glanced at the dark elven girl and sat down.

"Very well then, that's enough of the Council for a decision." Margyn turned back to Tiriki. "Ye're a dark elf enchantress. Ye've been around Halas a moon or more, getting our trust, deceiving us, making us believe that you were one of us. Now why should ye do all that unless ye be a spy? Checking defenses ahead of an invasion?"

The Teir'Dal took a long time before answering this. "You have no reason to believe me - though I believe that you shamans have ways of discerning whether I tell the truth. Hear this then. To see if I could. Not to scout the area, just to know what it was to be accepted. That sounds strange...try thinking of it this way. I was born a dark elf, to a high house of the Third Gate, child of two shadowknights in the personal service of Queen Cristanos. My family disowned me when I chose to study the path of the enchanter, and even more so for my refusal to give worship to Lord Innoruuk."

She took a deep breath and continued. "Agnosticism is a strange place to stand - your own distrust you, others judge you by your race. I was born evil, a child of the Prince of Hate, with no more choice in the matter than in my blue skin and white hair. I hate still - but noone ever said that I could not turn that hate onto the gnolls of Blackburrow who despoil Everfrost. I am who I am. But my hate has served you well - ask your young Wolves of the North who guard the Peaks, and who I have fought shoulder to shoulder with on many bitter nights."

Lysbeth was nodding at this. "My niece Megan spoke o' ye - the night the orcs came over the river and Tundra Jack was nowhere to be found. She said that for three dark hours ye held them back beside her until help came." A grudging respect was on the Warrior's face. "Megan is dear to me, and for that alone I would owe ye a boon. But this decision is not solely in my hands."

The two Shamans glanced at each other, then Jinkus spoke. "I must add here, that the lass has served us as well. Tiriki brought in the head of Granin, one of our traitors, after several of our own died trying to take him." His gaze went back to Tiriki, then across to the Beastlord. "Have ye anything ye want to add, Hoyce?"

Hoyce's hand caressed the head of the great wolf beside him as he spoke. "I know naught of the lass, good or bad. But if she's done me no service, neither has she harmed me or mine. If the Shamans of Justice have been served well by her, I have no quarrel with her."

The merchant, Cindl had waited for a chance to speak. "I have bought many of my skins from her this winter, thinking her one of our own. But I can tell you this. She's brought in enough of the wristbands of the snow orcs that I'm amazed there's any more out there. That alone has probably saved many of the young warriors patrolling this side of the river."

Cappi's face had darkened as the others spoke. "I can see that I will be outvoted. So I will abstain from whatever decision the rest of ye make. Just know this. I dinnae trust her. And if the rest of ye decide she can stay - which ye seem to be moving towards - if she comes into my guildhouse that is my ground, and she will die. Halas you can decide for. My guild is my own."

Margyn studied the Rogue for a minute, then glanced around the others. "We do seem to have made a choice." She glanced across. "Lysbeth - ye can do the usual."

The warrior stood up and drew her dagger. "Lass - dinnae move." With a shudder the Teir'Dal held still as Lysbeth cut a strange jagged mark over her cheekbone, then dabbed a piece of hide in the dark blood, handing it to Jinkus. "While ye bear that mark, none of the Wolves will harm ye. If by the time it heals, ye have done nae harm to any in Halas, then we will call ye ally, and your battles are ours. The Shamans will hold the drops of your blood till then as security. With them we can find ye, and bind ye wherever ye may be, should ye prove false." Then a real smile crossed her face. "But for tonight - come to us and we'll teach ye how a real barbarian spends a good evening. Illusions cannae show ye how to keep the cold out round here - we brew that secret under the guildhouse. We owe ye that much - for Megan's life, and the service ye've done."

The young Dark Elf rose. "How can I turn down such an offer?" She glanced around as if to see whether any would prevent her leaving, moved towards the door, then paused. She tossed a heavy bundle onto the table. "I believe the White Rose has a use for these?" Without stopping for an answer she passed out into the snow and the door swung shut behind her.

Cappi McTarnigal stared at the package as though at a venomous snake, before reluctantly slitting the ties and unfolding the contents. Four perfect mammoth calf hides. He began to laugh. "Well, the lass has determination at any rate. Though I make nae promise she'll win me over."

"A dark elf as ally in Halas. The world must be coming to an end." Margyn lightly touched the bloodstained patch with her fingers, before putting it in the breast of her tunic. "We'll be having Iksar drinking in the taverns at this rate."

Jinkus shuddered. "Dinnae make prophecies like that. We've had enough shocks for one day."


End file.
